Welcome, New Cool Vending Machine!

This morning, a new vending machine showed up on the loading dock and installed itself (well, it’s almost that smart!) on the first floor of Snell Library, just outside the CyberCafe. Fall 2011 update: now on the Third Floor! This machine can do everything but solve the extra credit question on your problem set: Touch-screen display to select your junk food Animated rotating picture of your bag of chips or beef jerky Push a button for the ingredient list, or nutrition information (wait, 597 mg of sodium? Maaaybe not…) Purchase with cash, or credit card! This just might be cooler than the new printing system.聽 Thank you, Diji-Touch Interactive Vending, whoever you are!

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6 thoughts on “Welcome, New Cool Vending Machine!”

  1. Rebecca Merz

    Okay, I used this thing today for a bag of Smartfood popcorn, and you are right, it is pretty fantastic. I’m just worried about what happens when something gets stuck and doesn’t drop to the bottom of the machine — in the old one, you could see that that had happened and maybe choose a different item instead. Here — no transparency. But maybe the machine is futuristic enough that nothing will get stuck! 馃檪

  2. Hillary Corbett

    This machine is also wheelchair-accessible — I noticed that there’s a button to press if you can’t read or reach the icons at the top of the screen that will flip-flop the top and bottom halves of the display.

  3. Annie DeVane

    If something gets stuck maybe there is a button that simulates hitting/kicking the machine until the chips come out…
    Emerging snack technology…glad we have it.

  4. Nick

    How much of our tuition went to buying this extravagant vending machine? Is the “coolness-factor” really worth the money?

  5. Jade Hoang

    Hi, how does the credit card work? I bought 2 things with 2 swipes and it took 15 dollars each time. Can I call someone to ask?

  6. G. Karen Merguerian

    Nick–NO university money goes into “buying” these vending machines. On the contrary, companies fight for the right to put their machines here it’s so lucrative for them.

    Jade–it may be that an “authorization hold” was put on your credit card for $15, but you won’t actually be charged that amount. Check that with your credit card company. If you really were charged $15 by mistake, call 617-373-2020 and tell them what happened.

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